Assessment of Adoption of Agrochemicals by Cucumber Farmers in Selected Local Government Areas in Kaduna State, Nigeria

This study analyzed farmers’ behavior towards adoption level of agro-chemicals for productivity of cucumber crop in Kaduna State, Nigeria. The socio-economic characteristics of cucumber farmers, level of adoption and satisfaction derived from the use of agrochemical in cucumber production and the impact of adoption of agrochemicals in the production of cucumber crops in the study area were examined. The sample size was forty-seven randomly sampled from Kaduna North and Kaduna South local government areas. The study adopted the use of questionnaire and interview schedule to obtain data from the respondents. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the study’s objectives while inferential statistics (Logistic regression and Binomial test) were used to analyze the hypotheses of the study. Results revealed that the average age, household size, farm size and farm experience were 44.56 year, 8.13 persons, 2.13 acre and 8.38 years respectively. About 79% of the respondents ranked above average in their level of adoption of agrochemical usage in cucumber production Farmers satisfaction on effects of agrochemicals on cucumber crop is significantly high, since the majority (81.85%) fell under this category A difference in farm income of N65,957.45 was obtained and this was in favor of after respondent adoption of agrochemicals by the farmers. Variables like age (b = -11472.612; t = 1.739), educational status (b = 11065.852; t = 1.866), household size (b = 22120.708; t = 2.533), farm size (b = 1216.851; t = 0.131) and farm experience (-8402.064; t = 0.040) were found to be significant in influencing level of adoption of agrochemicals in cucumber production. Based on findings of the study, it could be recommended that efforts should be made to orientate and re-orientate the older farmers who did not seem to be adopting the use of agrochemicals so that they can begin to change their mind-set towards its use. &nbsp

Somatic evolution and global expansion of an ancient transmissible cancer lineage

Made available in DSpace on 2019-10-06T15:53:36Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2019-08-02GPD Charitable TrustLeverhulme TrustThe canine transmissible venereal tumor (CTVT) is a cancer lineage that arose several millennia ago and survives by “metastasizing” between hosts through cell transfer. The somatic mutations in this cancer record its phylogeography and evolutionary history. We constructed a time-resolved phylogeny from 546 CTVT exomes and describe the lineage's worldwide expansion. Examining variation in mutational exposure, we identify a highly context-specific mutational process that operated early in the cancer's evolution but subsequently vanished, correlate ultraviolet-light mutagenesis with tumor latitude, and describe tumors with heritable hyperactivity of an endogenous mutational process. CTVT displays little evidence of ongoing positive selection, and negative selection is detectable only in essential genes. We illustrate how long-lived clonal organisms capture changing mutagenic environments, and reveal that neutral genetic drift is the dominant feature of long-term cancer evolution.Transmissible Cancer Group Department of Veterinary Medicine University of CambridgeAnimal Management in Rural and Remote Indigenous Communities (AMRRIC)World VetsAnimal Shelter Stichting Dierenbescherming SurinameSikkim Anti-Rabies and Animal Health Programme Department of Animal Husbandry Livestock Fisheries and Veterinary Services Government of SikkimRoyal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies Roslin Institute University of Edinburgh Easter Bush CampusConserLab Animal Preventive Medicine Department Faculty of Animal and Veterinary Sciences University of ChileCorozal Veterinary Hospital University of PanamáSt. George's UniversityNakuru District Veterinary Scheme LtdAnimal Medical CentreInternational Animal Welfare Training Institute UC Davis School of Veterinary MedicineCentro Universitário de Rio Preto (UNIRP)Department of Clinical and Veterinary Surgery São Paulo State University (UNESP)Ladybrand Animal ClinicVeterinary Clinic Sr. Dog'sWorld Vets Latin America Veterinary Training CenterNational Veterinary Research InstituteAnimal ClinicIntermunicipal Stray Animals Care Centre (DIKEPAZ)Animal Protection Society of SamoaFaculty of Veterinary Science University of ZuliaVeterinary Clinic BIOCONTROLFaculty of Veterinary Medicine School of Health Sciences University of ThessalyVeterinary Clinic El Roble Animal Healthcare Network Faculty of Animal and Veterinary Sciences University of ChileOnevetGroup Hospital Veterinário BernaUniversidade Vila VelhaVeterinary Clinic ZoovetservisÉcole Inter-états des Sciences et Médecine Vétérinaires de DakarDepartment of Small Animal Medicine Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Utrecht UniversityVetexpert Veterinary GroupVeterinary Clinic Lopez QuintanaClinique Veterinaire de Grand Fond Saint Gilles les BainsDepartment of Veterinary Sciences University of MessinaFacultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia Universidad Autónoma del Estado de MéxicoSchool of Veterinary Medicine Universidad de las AméricasCancer Development and Innate Immune Evasion Lab Champalimaud Center for the UnknownTouray and Meyer Vet ClinicHillside Animal HospitalKampala Veterinary SurgeryAsavet Veterinary CharitiesVets Beyond BordersFaculty of Veterinary Medicine Autonomous University of YucatanLaboratorio de Patología Veterinaria Universidad de CaldasInterdisciplinary Centre of Research in Animal Health (CIISA) Faculty of Veterinary Medicine University of LisbonFour Paws InternationalHelp in SufferingVeterinary Clinic Dr José RojasDepartment of Biotechnology Balochistan University of Information Technology Engineering and Management SciencesCorozal Veterinary ClinicVeterinary Clinic VetmasterState Hospital of Veterinary MedicineJomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and TechnologyLaboratory of Biomedicine and Regenerative Medicine Department of Clinical Sciences Faculty of Animal and Veterinary Sciences University of ChileFaculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences University of MelbourneAnimal Anti Cruelty LeagueClinical Sciences Department Faculty of Veterinary Medicine BucharestDepartment of Pathology Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Ankara UniversityFaculty of Veterinary Sciences National University of AsuncionLilongwe Society for Protection and Care of Animals (LSPCA)Wellcome Sanger InstituteDepartment of Cellular and Molecular Medicine University of California San DiegoDepartment of Clinical and Veterinary Surgery São Paulo State University (UNESP)Leverhulme Trust: 102942/Z/13/

Recurrent horizontal transfer identifies mitochondrial positive selection in a transmissible cancer

Abstract: Autonomous replication and segregation of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) creates the potential for evolutionary conflict driven by emergence of haplotypes under positive selection for ‘selfish’ traits, such as replicative advantage. However, few cases of this phenomenon arising within natural populations have been described. Here, we survey the frequency of mtDNA horizontal transfer within the canine transmissible venereal tumour (CTVT), a contagious cancer clone that occasionally acquires mtDNA from its hosts. Remarkably, one canine mtDNA haplotype, A1d1a, has repeatedly and recently colonised CTVT cells, recurrently replacing incumbent CTVT haplotypes. An A1d1a control region polymorphism predicted to influence transcription is fixed in the products of an A1d1a recombination event and occurs somatically on other CTVT mtDNA backgrounds. We present a model whereby ‘selfish’ positive selection acting on a regulatory variant drives repeated fixation of A1d1a within CTVT cells

Mitochondrial genetic diversity, selection and recombination in a canine transmissible cancer.

Canine transmissible venereal tumour (CTVT) is a clonally transmissible cancer that originated approximately 11,000 years ago and affects dogs worldwide. Despite the clonal origin of the CTVT nuclear genome, CTVT mitochondrial genomes (mtDNAs) have been acquired by periodic capture from transient hosts. We sequenced 449 complete mtDNAs from a global population of CTVTs, and show that mtDNA horizontal transfer has occurred at least five times, delineating five tumour clades whose distributions track two millennia of dog global migration. Negative selection has operated to prevent accumulation of deleterious mutations in captured mtDNA, and recombination has caused occasional mtDNA re-assortment. These findings implicate functional mtDNA as a driver of CTVT global metastatic spread, further highlighting the important role of mtDNA in cancer evolution.Wellcome Trust Investigator Award, 102942/Z/13/A Elizabeth P Murchison Leverhulme Trust Philip Leverhulme Prize Elizabeth P Murchison Royal Society Research Grant, RG130615 Elizabeth P Murchiso

Antipsychotic Effect of the Leaves of Stachytarpheta Cayennensis (l.C. Riche) Vahl. Verbenaceae in Mice.

The antipsychotic effect of the extracts of the leaves of Stachytarpheta cayennensis was examined following ethnomedicinal claims for its use in the management of mental illness in Nigeria, Ghana and other tropical parts of the globe. The apomorphine and amphetamine-induced stereotyped behavior models were used in this study to see if the extract or its fractions would abolish the stereotypy in mice. The method of Siqueira et al (1998) was employed in this study and the Kruskal Wallis non parametric ANOVA followed by Mann-Whitney U-test was employed for statistical analysis.The results showed that only the methanolic extract of the leaves of Stachytarpheta cayennesis but none of the fractions thereof prevented stereotyped behavior induced by amphetamine. The extract did not abolish stereotypy induced by apomorphine. The inhibition of amphetamine stereotypy also occurred at only one dose (20 mg/kg, i.p.).The inferences from this study include the fact that for the antipsychotic effect of the leaves of stachytarpheta cayennesis, fractionation would lead to loss of activity. More importantly the methanolic extract of the leaves of Stachytarpheta cayennensis possesses antipsychotic effect and this justifies its ethnomedicinal use in the management of mental illness in some regions of the world.Keywords: Antipsychotic; Stachytarpheta cayennensis; amphetamine; apomorphine; stereotyp

The CO2 trading market in Europe:A financial perspective

The trading of carbon dioxide (CO2) emission allowances, or permits, has been established in recent years as one of the primary mechanisms for tackling global warming and climate change. The European Union (EU) has taken an important initiative in this direction by establishing in 2003 the first ever mandatory cap-and-trade system for CO2 permits: the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS). The purpose of this paper is to initially provide a brief introduction to the EU ETS and subsequently assess its operation during the years 2005-2010 from a financial market perspective. The in-sights gained through this analysis are particularly important not only for policy makers and market stakeholders but also for the growing community of the so-called ‘carbon’ investors